Starship fifth prototype set for first 500 foot hop
Capitalism in space: SpaceX fifth Starship prototype has passed all of its static fire tests and is now ready for its first flight, a 500 foot vertical hop.
That hop should occur within days.
I have embedded a nice video that summarizes well all of the work being done right now at SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility in Texas, including the construction of large assembly buildings for both Starship and Super Heavy.
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Capitalism in space: SpaceX fifth Starship prototype has passed all of its static fire tests and is now ready for its first flight, a 500 foot vertical hop.
That hop should occur within days.
I have embedded a nice video that summarizes well all of the work being done right now at SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility in Texas, including the construction of large assembly buildings for both Starship and Super Heavy.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
All the past tests used one single raptor engine and I wondered if this one was going to use multiple due to the planned 150m height. I confirmed that they will be using one engine for this test.
SpaceX’s Starship design of 31 engines always reminded me of the Russian’s N-1 with the 30 engines. SpaceX is approaching this design from the angle of testing everything first and scaling up. I read about the N-1 and they pretty much put together the components, skipped some integration testing steps, and went for launch. I am sure the quality control for the Raptor is a lot better than the NK-15.
Jay: One more point to SpaceX’s advantage: They have considerable experience making nine engines work together on Falcon 9. That knowledge is directly applicable to Super Heavy.
And, indeed, managing the 27 engines for Falcon Heavy. I think they staggered the ignition events on FH for the first few events, then changed to all at once, so there was some iteration there. Not sure what the plan is for Super Heavy.
At ignition, Soyuz lights THIRTY motors by pyrotechnic flares mounted on birch poles, aka, a 4’ match!
They strike the matches (electrically) at T-20 before the fuel or oxidizer is introduced.
With 1700 tries since 1966, they have it down pretty good.
Captain Emeritus,
Robert explains this here:
https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/russians-use-wooden-matches-to-ignite-rocket-engines/
Jay, an interesting thing about the SN5 prototype flight vs. the Starhopper flight of last August is that while they both use a single Raptor engine, the engine was centered on Starhopper, whereas it is offset on SN5, since it is mounted one of the three inner positions of a proper Starship thrust puck. (Starship will eventually fly with three inner Sea Level Raptor engines and 3 outer Vacuum optimized Raptors.)
So when SN5 lifts off, we should expect a bit of a “power slide” (as with the Atlas V 411), where it will translate horizontally a bit as it starts its way up. We should also expect a bit of cant as it flies. How much, I don’t know, but I’m expecting it to be visible.
Rose,
Wow! I did not know about the offset on the engine. It will be an interesting test.